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The deputy postal clerk from Yochou was in the city and had just established an office and intended to open other offices in the principal cities between there and Kweiyang, Kweicbow. After the mob left the ch pel, they demolished the office, and beat the clerk and postmaster so that the former will likely die as a result of his injuries. The postmaster is the son of au in tellingent and fri ndly military official Changtě.
of
The N-C. Daily News also publishes the following letter, dated 19th August, which was received by the Rev. J. W. Stevenson, Deputy Director of the China Inland Mission, from Mr. H. B. Stewart, then en route to Chê chou:
Mr.
I am nearing Taotion, and as part of my guard will be changed there, I propose to write such particulars of the death of our friends as I have been able to obtain since Sunday Bruce's cook, the bearer of the letter of which I sent you a copy, reached us at 3 p.m. on Sunday, having come down in a day and a half. After questioning him closely I concluded that there could be no doubt of our friends being dead. I informed Captain Davidson of the Snipe of the matter, and as Chihfu was on the German boat, we imme iately went across and reported the matter to him. He himself made a copy of Chang's letter, protested bis utter orrow, said it was an offence against God-but, it came under the jurisdiction of Chéuchou. To this I readily assented, but suggested that as I intended to go to Chènchou it was his du'y to see that I was sufficiently protected, and pro- perly received at my destination. He replied that they would do whatever I wished, and requested me to go to the Hsien, who would make all ar rangements. I did this, and the Hsien promised to do everything. About 9 p.m. he sent word that they had secured a boat, but the price of it was 22,00 cash. I replied to this that as the ex. penses would have to be borne by the Chenchon officials I wou'd leave it to the mandarin to do as he pleased. Later, as the boat provided was unsuitable. I requested that it might be changed, and this was immed ately done. A gunboat will escort me right through, and relays
of the soldiers who, i understand, are to attend to my personal wants, I thought it best to make it clear that I was to be sent officially, fearing that otherwise I should not have access to the officials
at Chenchou.
On Monday morning, while I was waiting on the British gunboat for my boat to be changed,
There is a slight variation as to the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND to the top of a small shed. Just bere the says that Lowis, hearing that Bruce was dead, variation referred to above comes in. The cook seemed to lose heart and came down. He wes just as Mr. Lowis got to the cof be at once killed and mutilated. Tsai says that speared and fell down, being killed at once. Tsai's story is corroborated by two others, I As
Que man says that as Mr. Lowis fell he looked, heavenward and seemed to be praying.
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Mr. Tsai, Mr. Bruce's teacher, arrived, and from him I was able to gather some details. Here let me say that in addition to the evangelist's letter, I now have accounts from four men. These men all came down at diffrent times, and each one tells the same story. manner of Lowis's death which I shall refer to again. Mr. Tsai, the teacher, says that rninours to the effect that the for iguers had poisoned the wells had been rife for some time, the story being that he, Tsai, had been heavily brib d by the foreigners to carry out their evil designs. Our friends were frequently urged to go to the yamen, but just as often refused to do so, saying, "Our trust is in God; there is no need to run away." They also frequently had prayer with the Christians. At 3 pm. on Friday, 15th Augu-t, Bruce evidently realised that trouble nas brewing, for he sent to the yamen for help. 1 have just questioned the cook as so what it was that caused Mr. Bruce to send for help at that particular time, the crowd not yet having assembled. He says that word had come that the shops on the streets were putting up their shutters, and that men assembling to kill the foreigners. The man left for the yamên immediately, but he had not been gone tou minutes before the peo; le arrived, Before he got back all was orer. says that when the crowd came Mr. Bruce went Mr. Tsai to the door to speak to them, and was attacked at once. Mr. Tsui went to his help, but was seized and his clothes torn. I asked him if Bruce called out, or said anything at all. He says he called out something, but doesn't know what it was. Bruce must have fallen very quickly. He was beat n with sticks and struck with swords until he was covered with wounds his face was battered Leyond recognition, Tu seems to have saved his head from sword ents by
were
means of Mr. Lowis's nush basin. Mr. Lowis. hearing the rush, ran to the back, and clambered
take it to be the true one
WOR
Tsai, the teacher, escaped with a few bruises; Chang, the evangelist, is badly injured, but decided to stay by the dead bodies until some one should arrive. When the Fu reached the chapel, half an hour after being sent for, he of the street. He took bold of his had to found Mr. Bruce's body lying in the middle ascertain if he were still alive; finding him to be dead he ordered the body to be carried into the hall. Later, the Hsien provided cffins. All the men who have come down greatly blame the officials, especially the military men, who, they say, simply shut their eyes yamen just befind the hall; twenty or thirty to what was going on. There is a military men could have saved the place, Lut the fficer refused to send them. Another officer said he conldn't send meu without orders from the Fu. | The Hsien had plenty of work to save the Imperial Post Office. He srrived just in time to save the life of the post clerk, a Eurasian, If my informants are to be believed, he is about the only one of the officials who acted with any promp ness.
In addition to Mr Chang, two other church members were injured. The evangelist, teachers, and some church members seem to Lave stood loyally by our friends. On the day of the riot, just after breakfast, the evangelist for the last time exhorted them to escape. Mr. Bruce replied: We are not at all afraid, but if you have any fears go and stay in the Hsien danger, stood by right to the end. yamen. And the old man, knowing all the
to do so.
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but he had been badly scared and was unwilling I asked Mr. Tsai if he would go back with me,
days until things became quiet again. But with He asked me to delay three or four
dead, and not knowing when Quirmbach would Mr Chang waiting for some one to bury the be back, I determined to go on. No doubt by the time I arrive the reaction will have place suitable for permanent burial can be found set in, and things will be quiet. If po within two or three days I will have the bodies
interred temporarily.
In the meantime I will gather as much in- formation as possible. I already have the name of the man in whese opium shop the plans were arranged.
attack, and another Wang is the ringleader. A man named Wang beat the signal for
everything stolen, I will send letters down as The lower story of the Hall is wrecked, and frequently as possible, and will allow the date of my return to Changteh to be determined by circumstances.
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Daily News in its Notes on Native Affairs, that It is reported from Hankow, says the N.-C. when it bec. me k own capital of Hunan, that a British gunboat, with in Changsha, the British Consular officials on board, was on its way to Chenchou, the scene of the recent massacre of British missionaries, the Governor Yü Lien-san (who is well-known amongst of the provi ce, the notorious Conservative, Chinese is one of the favourite protégés of the notorious ex-Prince Tuan and King Yi) became so apprehensive of approaching calamities at the hands of the "Western Barbarians" on his precious carcase, that he sent profuse apologis Hauhow begging that the gunboat should not and an abject appeal to the Britsth Consul at be allowed to proceed to Chenchou, declaring that as he had already captured ten men alleged to have been implicated. in the massacre of of their chapel, and had denounced to the Throne Messrs. Bruce and Lowis, and in the destruction
requesting that they may be cashiered and dis- the prefect and district magistrate of Chenchou, missed the service for negligence and inability ought to satisfy the British Government which to protect the missionaries of Chenchou, this should allow the Chinese to deal with the matter themselves, especially as the Taotai of the Chen-Yuan Intendancy had been already sent to the spot to investigate matters and restore
[September 18, 1902.
order. Of course, the usual stereotyped phrases of the "hostility of the natives of Hunan living ou the route of the progress of the British gun- boat and the apprehension that the invasion of a foreign man-of-war into the interior would rouse the whole province," and like excuses dear to the heart of the ordinary mandarin, had their place in Goreiner Yü Lien-san's appeal; but his chagrin and terror must have been great when he karat that before his appeal had got to the hands of the British authorities at Hankow the British gunboat was already half-way on her road to Chênchou. Taken on the whole, Governor Yü Lien san's anti-foreignism and conservatism are well-known to his compatriots throughout the whole of China, and it is strange that he was uot made to suffer like bis brother Boxers- sone of whom were not so active as himself in the propaganda in 190-but was allowed to retain bis Governorship of Hunan. foreigners not been misled by the glamour of the "cordial reception by the time serving Mandarins of Hunan, from given to them in 1901
of Chenchon would never Lave happened. For Governor Yü Lien-san downwards, the massacie from private letters received from Chèncbou relatives by certain Hunanese officials residing in Shanghai, the attack on the clerks of the Imperial Chincse Post was only an excuse to cover the deeper design of driving foreigners out of that part of Human,
Had
MR. STEWART LOCKHART ON THE WEIHAIWEI REGIMENT,
On Coronation day, the 9th August last, the First Chinese Regiment at Weihaiwei was reviewed by the Commissioner, Mr. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, our late Colonial Secretary. The men, about 700 strong, presented a very fine appearance, and many regrets at their approaching disappearance were heard. A fter the usual salute, Mr. Stewart Lockhart ad. dressed the Regiment as follows :—
"Major Bruce, Officers, Nou-commissioned giment, if I may be allowed, I desire to con. officers, and meu of the First Chinese Re- gratulate you on your very smart appearance on this auspicious day, and to thank you, on behalf of the residents of Weibaiwei, for having aff rded us this opportunity of seeing you on parade. I regret-inded we all regret shall have such an opportunity. It is not -that this may be the last occasion on which we
for me to criticise the policy of disbanding a regiment which has never failed, when cailed upon, to do its duty, and to do it in a manner of which any regiment might be p oud. When the frontier troubles arcse at Weihaiwei, the infancy, to quell them-a mest invidious task, Regiment was called upon, while still in its when it is remembered that the men were in abitants had presumed to offer armed vatives of the very districts of which the resistance. But, not withstanding all difficulties, the Regiment behaved in a manuer which commanded general approbation, Again, when the Reg ment the troubles arose in the North, the services of were once more requisitioned, fact remains, that in the opinion of those free and whatever prejudiced critics may say, the from bias, the Regiment not only proved itself worthy of those who had devoted their time and energy to its training, but showed it-elf accustomed to the profession of arms. capable of holding its own with troops long There are not many regiments so young in years that can show a record so satisfactory. I would recommend those who wish to know in detail the history of the Regiment to read the interesting book written by one of the officers enjoying a fate not always accorded to books, of the Regiment, Captain Banes, which is of having reached a second edition. But not only is a military record of the Regin:ent a good one; its civil record, of which I am more since my arrival here as Commissioner I have competent to speak, is also remarkable. Ever been struck by the excellent behaviour of the men. I venture to say that no other garrison in the world could show a better record has been practically no crime of any sort, than that of the Chinese Regiment. There though the garrison has Lumbered 1,300 men. One of the first things I was told when I came here, was that the men of the Chinese Regi- ment would give a great deal of trouble. That
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